Key Takeaways
- Iran supports efforts to strengthen unity among Islamic nations.
- Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye meet with Iranian officials to discuss regional peace and security.
- Visit aims to support mediation efforts of Qatar and Pakistan.
Iran has expressed support for efforts to promote security and development, as President Masoud Pezeshkian met with senior officials from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye, the three signatories to the Makkah defence pact. The meeting, held in Tehran, aimed to continue dialogue on regional peace and security.
During the talks, President Pezeshkian stated, 'The Islamic Republic of Iran supports any understanding aimed at strengthening the unity and cohesion of Islamic nations,' according to an official statement.
The meeting brought together Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, alongside Iranian officials including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei.
Field Marshal Munir’s visit to Tehran last week had proposed the meeting, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei. The talks followed the proposal and reflected the realisation that regional tensions need to be addressed through diplomacy.
The discussions took place against a backdrop of heightened concern over the escalating conflict between Yemen’s Ansar Allah rebels and Saudi Arabia, the security of the Strait of Hormuz, and the prospect of renewed US and Israeli military action against Iran.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry described the visit as part of continuing efforts by the agreement’s members to reduce tensions, promote dialogue, and support diplomatic solutions. The visit was aimed to support the mediation efforts of Qatar and Pakistan.
Abdul Aziz Hamad Al-Uwaisheq, assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiations at the Gulf Cooperation Council, identified de-escalation, dialogue, and support for Pakistan and Qatar-led mediation as key objectives of the initiative.
A Qatari delegation had immediately preceded the visit by Makkah pact officials to Tehran, suggesting coordination between the diplomatic initiatives.
The meeting coincided with Egyptian parliament authorising its president to provide defensive military support to Saudi Arabia in its conflict with Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement. Cairo has maintained contacts with Iran, the United States, and other regional partners in an effort to prevent the conflict from widening.
